Tag: Marcus Rashford

Marcus Rashford decried Manchester United’s lack of strategy as leaving the English giants in “no man’s land” after joining Barcelona on loan.

The 27-year-old, who played 426 times for United after coming through the club’s academy, left Old Trafford in January for a loan spell at Aston Villa after falling out of favour with new manager Ruben Amorim.

United went on to have their worst season since being relegated in 1973⁄74 as they finished 15^th  in the Premier League and failed to qualify for European competition.

Rashford believes the root of United’s problems is in the instability caused by appointing six different managers since Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.

 “We have been way below where we deem United to be but then if you take a step back, which I’ve been able to do, especially over these last six months, what do you expect?” Rashford told the Rest Is Football podcast.

 “When Liverpool went through this, they got (Jurgen) Klopp, they stuck with him. They didn’t win in the beginning. People only remember his final few years when he was competing with (Manchester) City and winning the biggest trophies.

 “To start a transition, you have to make a plan and stick to it. It’s not easy to do. But this is where I speak about being realistic with what your situation is.

 “We’ve had that many different managers, different ideas and different strategies to win that you end up in no man’s land.”

Read Also: 2024 WAFCON: Pitch Awards organisers salute gov’t for rallying NSC, NFF for  Super Falcons

United have failed to even contend for the Premier League title or the Champions League since Ferguson’s departure.

Rashford is one of the few success stories for the Red Devils in that time.

After breaking into the team as an 18-year-old in 2016, he went on to score 138 goals for the club, winning two FA Cups and two League Cups.

However, he believes the winning culture embedded during Ferguson’s 27-year tenure has been worn away.

 “When Ferguson was in charge, not only were there principles for the first team but they were for the whole academy,” Rashford added.

 “Any team that has been successful over a period of time, they have principles that mean that any coach or player that comes in has to align to or add to the principles.

 “At times, United were hungry to win… but it was reactionary. If your direction is always changing, you can’t expect to win the league.”

Rashford appears to have played his last game for United with his move to Spanish champions Barca containing an option to buy for a reported 35 million euros (£30 million, $41 million).

England forward Marcus Rashford said Barcelona was a club where “dreams come true” as he joined the LaLiga champions on a season-long loan from Manchester United with an option to buy.

Media reports said that Barcelona would cover Rashford’s wages this season after the player accepted a pay cut, with the option to buy set at around 30 million euros ($35.25 million) for the 27-year-old.

“Very excited. I think it’s a club where people’s dreams come true. They win big prizes. And what the club stands for really means a lot to me as well. So it feels like I am at home,” Rashford told reporters following his unveiling. “Another factor is because the conversations I had with the manager (Hansi Flick) were positive. What he did last season was terrific.

“To lead such a young team to a very successful season and come back to pre-season and still want to do more, it shows me everything I thought I knew about the club and it’s everything I wished.”

Once seen as a club icon and home-grown star, Rashford had a dramatic fall from grace at United, marked by a falling out with manager Ruben Amorim that paved the way for him to move to Aston Villa on loan in February.

“(Manchester United) is in a period of change and they have been for a while. I don’t have anything bad to say as it has been an important part not just of my career but my life, so I was grateful for the opportunity,” he added.

“But like life not everything goes as simple as you thought and this is my next chapter and I’m fully focused on improving myself and helping the team win trophies.”

Barcelona said Rashford had signed his contract earlier in the afternoon. “Rashford can play anywhere in attack. Right footed, he can take players on and is an excellent finisher, talents he can now show in a Barca shirt,” the club said in a statement.

Read Also: Brighton striker Ferguson joins Roma on loan

The move came after Manchester-born Rashford, who made 426 senior appearances and scored 138 goals for United in all competitions, fell out of favour with Amorim, who called his work rate into question.

Rashford, who won two FA Cups, two League Cups and a Europa League title with United, joined Aston Villa on loan after Amorim said he would rather put a goalkeeper coach on the bench than a player not giving their all.

United issued a statement wishing Rashford well as they announced the deal with Barcelona.

“Everyone at Manchester United wishes Marcus good luck for the season,” the club said.

The forward, who has scored 17 goals for England in 62 appearances, said he was feeling fitter and better after joining Villa, where he netted two goals in 10 league games, while United had their worst-ever Premier League campaign, finishing 15th in the standings.

Rashford said he had wanted to move to Barca during the mid-season transfer window when he joined Villa.

“I was clear on my preference (to join Barcelona) from the beginning. Actually from maybe in January. It didn’t work out in January so I went to Villa and enjoyed a good period there,” he said.”It was time to make another decision. My choice was easy. (Barcelona) is a family club, something I’m used to from my past. It feels like home.”

Barcelona are set to play three pre-season friendlies in Japan and South Korea starting on July 27.

FC Barcelona have officially reached an agreement with Manchester United to sign Marcus Rashford on a season-long loan deal with an option to buy, in one of the most unexpected moves of the 2025 summer transfer window.

The Catalan giants had been chasing left-wing reinforcement but missed out on Nico Williams who renewed his contract with Athletic Club and found Luis Diaz too expensive.

That prompted a swift internal decision led by manager Hansi Flick, who gave the green light to pursue Rashford.

Read Also: NFF mourns legendary  ‘Professor’ Monday Sinclair

According to trusted sources Fabrizio Romano & David Ornstein, Barcelona submitted an official loan offer with an option to buy, which United accepted. Rashford’s also given his full approval after a personal conversation with Flick.

Rashford spent the second half of last season on loan at Aston Villa, scoring four goals and providing 6 assists in 17 appearances under Unai Emery. Despite showing glimpses of his quality, Villa opted not to activate the buy option.

He was left out of United’s plans under new coach Ruben Amorim, which made his departure inevitable.

Aston Villa are closing in on a loan deal for Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford before Monday’s transfer deadline.

Sources have told BBC Sport talks are at an advanced stage, but there is work to be done to finalise the move.

Read Also: AKOR ADAMS: Ejuke encouraged me to come to Sevilla

The prospect of working with Villa boss Unai Emery is understood to be an attractive one for the 27-year-old.

Rashford has not featured for United since being dropped by head coach Ruben Amorim for the Manchester derby on 12 December.

Last week Amorim suggested he would rather give a place on the bench to his 63-year-old goalkeeping coach because of a perceived lack of effort by the striker.

Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford is ready for a new challenge, he told football writer Henry Winter as he continues to be linked with a move away from the Premier League club.

On Sunday, United beat Manchester City 2-1, but Rashford, along with Alejandro Garnacho, was left out of the trip to the Etihad, with new manager Ruben Amorim saying his decision was about holding his players to high standards.

This led to media reports that United were looking to sell the England forward, who has been at United since the age of seven, and the 27-year-old spoke on the subject while visiting his old school to hand out Christmas presents.

“For me, personally, I think I’m ready for a new challenge and the next steps,” Rashford told Winter when asked if he was staying or leaving United.

“When I leave it’s going to be ‘no hard feelings’. You’re not going to have any negative comments from me about Manchester United. That’s me as a person.

“If I know that a situation is already bad I’m not going to make it worse. I’ve seen how other players have left in the past and I don’t want to be that person.

Read Also: NFF faults  Libya’s poor treatment claims before Uyo showdown 

“When I leave I’ll make a statement and it will be from me.”

Rashford has scored three goals since Amorim took over last month, but was taken off in the 56th minute of last week’s 2-1 Europa League victory over Viktoria Plzen, with supporters booing the striker as he left the pitch.

The player has yet to rediscover the form that saw him score 30 goals across all competitions in the 2022-23 season, but he still believes the best is yet to come.

“I’m halfway through my career. I don’t expect my peak to be now,” Rashford said.

“I’ve had nine years so far in the Premier League and that’s taught me a lot, that’s helped me grow as a player and as a person.

“So I don’t have any regrets from the last nine years. I won’t have any regrets going forward because I take things day by day and sometimes bad things happen, sometimes good things happen.”

Ronaldo confirms bid for CBF presidency

Brazil legend Ronaldo has confirmed he wants to become president of the country’s football governing body to address a “deep crisis” the sport is facing nationally.

 “I have hundreds of motivations, but I think the biggest of them is really to restore international respect to Brazilian football,” he said in an interview on Monday with the Globoesporte website.

Ronaldo said he wanted to be an “alternative for significant change” as candidate for the job of running the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF).

 “O Fenomeno” (“The Phenomenon”), as the 48-year-old became known over the course of his 1993-2011 career, said he wants to use the CBF presidency to help Brazil’s national team to regain its glory as five-time world champions.

 “The Selecao has to recover its prestige. I’ll do everything so that the players understand the historic importance of playing for the national team,” he said.

Ronaldo scored both goals when Brazil beat Germany in the 2002 World Cup final in Japan, and was twice winner of the Ballon d’Or.

To lodge his CBF candidacy, he needs the support of Brazilian regional clubs and federations.

To get those, he promised to travel “all around Brazil” and share the “incredible plans” he has for the sport.

The date of the next CBF election has not yet been set, but should happen between March 2025 and March 2026, according to Brazilian media.

Current CBF chief Ednaldo Rodrigues has been criticized for slotting in temporary coaches for the national team after Tite’s 2022 exit while waiting for Carlo Ancelotti to arrive – something that did not happen when the Italian decided late last year to extend his contract as manager of Real Madrid.

Currently coached by Dorival Junior, the Selecao are fifth in South America qualifying for the 2026 World Cup tournament, seven points behind leaders Argentina.

 “My problem is not Ednaldo. The problem is much deeper. My goal is to bring the people closer to the Selecao. Today, the people are indifferent when the Selecao plays,” Ronaldo told Globoesporte.

 “I am an alternative of significant change for Brazilian football, which is going through a deep crisis,” he said.

Ronaldo, a former star for Barcelona, Inter Milan and Real Madrid, already has leadership experience.

In 2018, he took majority control of Spain’s Real Valladolid, and in 2021 did the same for Cruzeiro, the Brazilian club where he started his career.

He sold his Cruzeiro stake in April this year.

In his interview, Ronaldo said he was in talks to “very soon” sell his Valladolid stake to avoid “any obstacle” to his CBF candidacy.